Did Howie Roseman Meet With Chip Kelly?

Despite Andy Reid still head coach of the Eagles, rumors are already circulating about his replacement.

According to Pro Football Weekly, they have been told by a source in the NFL that the Eagles have already met with Oregon Head Chip Kelly. The report is vague, and as with any report, it should be taken with a grain of salt.

Here is what PFW was told:

I’ve heard talk about (Eagles GM) Howie Roseman already meeting with (Oregon head coach) Chip Kelly. Obviously, there are no rules preventing a GM from talking to a college coach during a (school) visit.

The same person also goes on to speculate that San Diego might be a better fit for Kelly instead of Philadelphia. The report does not state that Kelly was interested, or that things were serious- just that the sides met.

Again, the rumor should be taken with a grain of salt and be taken as just that- a rumor. But it should be noted that PFW has been accurate in the past with Eagles news. They were one of the first to report the tension in the front office before Joe Banner left.

So let's speculate.

If the piece of information is true, it confirms a belief of mine that Andy Reid knows he is getting fired, but he and Jeffrey Lurie agreed it would be best if he finished out the season. You can tell from listening and talking to Reid that he knows his fate and is simply going through the motions. Even his press conferences sound like more of a recording than usual. If Roseman really did meet with Kelly, there is very little chance it could have happened without Reid knowing. It also likely would not have happened unless Reid was on board with it. I don't think Lurie would approve something like that if Reid did not already know the team was moving on. I also think that after all of his time with Lurie and the Eagles, Reid would be on board with taking the heat these final few weeks and then moving on.

As far as the team's interest in Kelly, it is safe to that nearly every team that is going to be looking for a head coach will at least reach out to Kelly this off-season. If the Eagles know they are moving past Reid and have interest in Kelly, it only makes sense that they would try to reach out before other teams- although I find it hard to believe that Kelly would take the meeting before his season at Oregon was over. It should also be noted that the Eagles cannot yet talk to other possibile candidates, such as offensive or defensive coordinators. In that way, if they really are starting their search or at least gauging interest, they would be restricted to college coaches. If the meeting did happen, however, it shows that there is real mutual interest between the sides.

The report is nothing more than what one person heard, but it is at least interesting to read and possibly a hint at what direction the team might be going in.

Follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks